"Master Iason!" Cal yelled as the Blondie Elite brought the taming stick down on his pet Riki for what was likely the one-millionth time.

Riki's punishment had been going on since the previous afternoon and had continued throughout the night. It had only been by coincidence that Cal had walked past the bedroom door on his way from doing the shopping to realise that he could no longer hear Riki's screams as Iason beat him again and again.

Setting the shopping down, the Furniture had hesitated for a few minutes, listening out for a sign that master Riki was still conscious. Cal waited for a full ten minutes before deciding to rush in with some excuse as to why Iason was needed elsewhere so that Cal could check over the pet. Yet, even as Cal stood in the doorway, the excuses died in his mouth as he looked down upon Riki in shock and horror.

"M…Master Iason…" Was all that Cal could manage to stutter as he already began to examine Riki's unconscious – if not dead – body, which was covered with frightful wounds.

Iason stood, dropping the stick from his hand as he exited the room uncaringly. As soon as the fearsome Blondie had left, Cal quickly hurried to Riki's side. Bruises of black and blue covered Riki from his neck to his toes, his anus was leaking blood that trickled down the sides of his well-toned legs and the boy lay on his stomach unmoving, causing Cal to fear the worst. Just as the fear for Riki's life was settling into the pit of Cal's stomach, the front door could be heard closing after the master of the house.

The day finally came to a close for Iason. He'd dealt with irritating traders from other worlds all day, and all that the Syndicate leader wanted was his pet securely in his embrace as he pushed himself into that deliciously delicate body that was created from bronze. He wanted to be home already so that he could pin down his ferocious mongrel and finally reach his carnal release as he made sure that Riki clearly understood to whom he belonged. Yet, when Iason entered his spacious apartment, he did not fully cognise that something was amiss.

"Cal, wine." Iason ordered as his furniture came into his view, probably because the servant had heard the door close. Cal nodded and bowed as Iason handed the furniture his coat and went to seek out his ever elusive pet.

The first place Iason went was the balcony, but his brows creased with curiousness of Riki's whereabouts after the Blondie had done a thorough search of the open balcony and discovered that it was bereft of his pet. Without any true concern, the intimidating man strode towards the bedroom, fully expecting his pet to be lying on the bed, possibly asleep as he awaited Iason's return with some degree of apprehension after his physical reprimanding last night. But again Iason was proven wrong as he opened the door to find nothing but a perfectly made bed with freshly pressed sheets.

"Cal!" Iason barked, the servant hurrying to appear before his master. "Where is Riki?"

Cal stood, holding Iason's wine with trembling fingers. "I – I sent you a-a voice message about Riki, Master Iason…"

The Blondie's eyes narrowed in anger, annoyance and irritation. "Well, I obviously didn't get it, so would you care to explain it to me?" Iason replied with a voice of ice. No one but Raoul, Riki and Cal would have been able to tell that Iason was on the verge of destroying the nearest object… 'or person' Cal tacked on silently.

"Sir, Riki has been taken to hospital…" Cal spoke in hushed tones so as not to aggravate Iason.

"Hospital?" Iason's eyebrows shot upwards as he listened to his furniture's explanation. Riki had not mentioned feeling ill yesterday, if he had, Iason might not have been quite as hard on him. But Riki would never tell me such things… Iason thought, a tinge of regret echoing in his thoughts. The man seemed to have skipped over the thought that he was the reason that Riki was in Tanagura Hospital.

Cal nodded, confirming Iason's questioning statement. "This morning, after you, Master Iason, left, I started cleaning up Riki. I was wiping ointment onto Master Riki's wounds when he awoke. I asked him how he was feeling, and Master Riki said he wasn't. I pushed him for further explanation, but all he replied with was "I can't feel anything Cal. I can't feel my fingers or my toes or my legs and arms." I quickly called the medical center and when the doctor came over and examined Riki, he conclusively told me that there was something in his spine that had been damaged and unless they fixed it, Riki would remain permanently quadriplegic. I told them to take Riki and I forwarded the hospital bill and the consent letter to you for your approval so that the surgery could be done."

Iason's face was a frozen mask, reflecting no emotion on his exterior while internally he went wild with panic. Iason left his furniture standing alone in the empty room as he strode the short distance from the dining room to the door. Iason raced from his apartment and in less than ten minutes was bursting through the front doors of the Tanagura medical center. Slamming his hand down upon the front desk, Iason demanded to know where his pet was.

"I'm sorry sir, your name please?" Asked the receptionist who continued to type away without an upwards glance.

"Mink" Iason growled as his anger peaked, reaching an icy fury, his gaze so ferocious it could make even the hardest Elite crack under the scorn.

The receptionist finally looked up and immediately his face flushed, aware that he could lose more than his job if he kept Iason Mink waiting. "Ah – I'm sorry your Excellency – ah – Lord Mink, please follow me this way!"

Iason was hurriedly led through a labyrinth of corridors and passed many rooms as the receptionist hastily led him to his beloved. When they reached the room, the receptionist bowed and hurried away from the Blondie, just as quickly as they'd arrived, if not more so – the receptionist was extremely keen to put as much distance between himself and the Eos Elite.

Iason, steeling himself and bracing for the emotional impact he knew unquestionably he was about to face, placed his palm quietly against the door before hesitantly pushing it open. The Blondie was immediately greeted with the dark scene of his beloved lying on a bio-bed, covered in wounds that he had inflicted upon his untamable creature, only hours ago.

A quiet, but rapid inhalation of air was the only discernable way of determining how utterly shaken and shocked the Blondie man was at the sight he laid his eyes upon. A shaky exhalation was all Iason could manage as he sat beside his love on a stool. It took all his effort not to tear the place apart and order the staff to put Riki before all their other patients.

The Blondie pulled out an electronic device and, immediately upon finding the forwarded messages Cal had sent to him, signed the consent letter that would have Riki back in his arms again, perfectly whole and untamable as before. After putting the tablet device away, Iason simply stared at his mongrel for next few following minutes before a trembling hand reached towards Riki's face and brushed away a lock of midnight hair.

At this unexpected contact, Riki opened his eyes, much to Iason's shock. While the Blondie still reeled in surprise, Riki looked over, fully aware that Iason had been in the room for quite a significant amount of time.

"Riki!" The word suddenly exploded from Iason's mouth when he finally found his voice. Iason reached for his beautiful lover, and being unable to stop him, Riki let Iason pet him and touch his face. The huge blonde male crooned to Riki that everything would be okay – he would fix everything – so that Riki would be able to move again, be the carefree mongrel that tore apart Iason's apartment every day.

Riki didn't utter a single word as Iason slowly descended from regret to grief. Yet, as quickly as the tormented torrent of emotion had reached Iason's exterior, it went away again and Iason returned to his stony faced demeanor. But try as hard as he could to hide the regret, Riki could still see the storm behind Iason's azure-sky eyes that looked at Riki with an intelligence that the mongrel could never hope to possess.

A ruby-haired Elite waltzed into the room looking rather pleased with himself as he looked down at a chart that was assumedly Riki's. But, looking up, the smug expression that the Ruby wore was quickly replaced by a look of horror and fear.

"Y-your Excellency!" squeaked the Elite that seemed tiny next to Iason's powerful body.

Riki smirked at the fearful Ruby as the Elite's attention was solely focused on Iason. 'Serves him right, the little asshole. That fucker needed someone to wipe that shit-eating grin off his face!' Riki wickedly thought to himself, but regretted his smirk as the whole right-side of his face protested in pain from where Iason had beaten him the previous night.

The Ruby's fear was quickly doubled when Iason stood. His imposing height, not to mention his terrifying expression screamed 'death' to anyone within a two meter radius of Riki.

"I want Riki in surgery now." Iason demanded, glinting icicles of fury in his sky-blue eyes. "I want Riki fixed!"

The Ruby could do nothing but squeak in fear and nod as he hurriedly contacted several people. Five minutes later, Riki was being whisked away. With a single glance back, Riki headed straight towards the operation room, blissfully slipping away as the copious amounts of drugs in his system fully hit him and he began to see only the numbness of black…

Cal sighed with relief as Riki walked into the apartment, quickly followed by his master. Yet Cal immediately saw the change in Riki. After such a harsh punishment, Cal wasn't surprised that Riki wasn't his usual fervent self. This was only confirmed when Iason grabbed Riki's arm and the boy flinched pathetically.

"Come." Iason said as he dragged Riki to the bedroom forcefully.

Cal noticed the immense look of fear on the bronze man's face, but regrettably knew he could do nothing to help the poor pet.

Iason closed the door and forced his pet to look at him. Riki's eyes were full of fear and hopelessness – he didn't want to be here… not so soon after what Iason had done. Cal had cleaned up all the evidence, but in his mind the room was still the darkened torture chamber it had been last night.

The blondie threw his pet on the bed, and Riki scrambled to get away; though his struggles were fruitless as Iason pinned his wrists down with one hand. His heart was in his throat and a quick rush of adrenaline pulsed through him.

"Riki…" Iason said softly as he watched his terrified pet squirm beneath him.

Riki stopped struggling at the sound of Iason's voice, and the boy opened an eye hesitantly. He was really afraid. Was he going to be raped already? He'd only just come home from the hospital. Surely Iason wouldn't plunge himself so recklessly into Riki so soon… no… one never knew with Iason.

Iason ran his free hand along his pet's jawbone and knocked a black lock from his face. Riki couldn't protest; what if Iason punished him again? He didn't want to go through that all over again.

The older man ran his hand down Riki's clothed chest, and the boy's eyes squeezed shut and his breath hitched as he mentally prepared himself for what was about to come.

Suddenly, the hand stopped.

"You're afraid." Iason stated coolly as he paused in his exploration of Riki's torso.

His eye's flung open; Riki wasn't even going to deny it. He just lay beneath his master, waiting for the blonde man's next move.

Iason's sigh was one of resignation and dejection. He shut his eyes and, letting go of Riki's wrists which were pinned above the boy's head, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'm sorry Riki. I didn't mean for… I didn't think I would hurt you so badly. I apologise, profusely. For your sake, I will refrain from your body this week. I will allow you your "recovery"."

Riki didn't know what to say. He'd never though Iason capable of apologizing. The man never made a mistake and if he did, he never openly admitted to it.

"Iason…?" Riki whispered tentatively.

Iason immediately looked down at the one he unknowingly loved.

"…It's okay…" the boy breathed. "…I… I forgive… you."

Iason's stony face melted. Relief was plain, and love was there too. The older man pulled his pet up and into his lap where he held the mongrel close to him. He smoothed the boy's hair and petted him gently for over an hour, both of them sitting in silence as they reconnected through gentle pats and caresses.

"Thank you Riki…" the Blondie replied in a whisper, over an hour later. "I truly am sorry I hurt you… I didn't mean for it to happen… I…"

But Riki had fallen asleep in his master's arms, and the soft but clear words that Iason said next were missed by the dark haired boy.

"…Love you."

Thank you for reading this one-shot. Again, please leave a review if you feel so inclined! Have a nice day!